• How would you characterize Ishtar? What does she want from Gilgamesh and what tactics does she use to get what she wants?
• What is the purpose of Enkidu’s string of curses in Tablet VII? Why, especially, does he curse Shamhat? For what does he blame her? (VII. 58-86 [pp129-30])
• Is Enkidu’s death ordained by the gods? Why him and not Gilgamesh?
• How, specifically, does Enkidu’s death affect Gilgamesh? What are the physical and emotional markers of Gilgamesh’s grief for the death of his companion?
• In what ways are water and bodies of water significant in the narrative? What do they symbolize? Give specific examples.
• As always, come up with 1 or 2 questions of your own, or passages you’d like to read aloud and discuss.

• How does the Prologue characterize Gilgamesh as a king and as a man? What features does the text emphasize?
• In what ways does the harlot Shamhat “civilize” Enkidu (beside the obvious)? What are the signs of his “civilization”? What do these changes say about the nature of “civilization in ancient Mesopotamia?
• What is the nature of the relationship between Gilgamesh and Enkidu? How does each compliment the other?
• What about the women in the story: Ninsun, Shamhat, and the goddess Aruru? How do they move the narrative forward?
• Why do Gilgamesh and Enkidu pursue their first adventure? What do they hope to gain?
• As always, come up with one or two questions of your own, or passages you’d like to discuss.

Please take a moment to explore our course blog and make sure you can find and access resources you will need for the upcoming semester. Some recently added items are:

• discussion topics (on the home page)
• course syllabus
• readings for week 1 (for anyone who hasn’t yet purchased the Norton Anthology)
• detailed assignment sheets

If you missed the first day of class, or just added the class, make sure you print out the reading (if you don’t yet have the text book) and bring it to the next class. Check the syllabus and course schedule to see what pages are due and email me if you have any difficulty downloading the PDF files from the “Readings” page of the site.

You’ve all been designated authors on the site so feel free to add your own comments and input at any time. Check the site at least once per class period so you don’t miss any important announcements or information. I’ll be posting a schedule for your own blog posts on our readings by the end of the week, so stayed tuned!